


head over heels

by beemotionpicture



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 02:58:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18295472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beemotionpicture/pseuds/beemotionpicture
Summary: Texting, flirting, misunderstandings. AKA Tony and Stephen fall in love. Literally.





	head over heels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nix3994](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nix3994/gifts).



> For [ethereal-lullabies](https://ethereal-lullabies.tumblr.com/). Hope you enjoy it, Nix!
> 
> Written for IronStrange Gift Exchange 2019.

Tony stared at Stephen and Stephen stared at Tony and both of them wondered how they ended up sprawled on the floor, faces inches apart and breaths mingling.

 

It all started with a text.

 **TS:** Hello, stranger. Up for dinner and a movie?

He couldn’t help the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach at that. What was he, a lovesick teenager? Well, there was one thing that was certain: that text was _not_ for him. Precisely why it stayed in his inbox for almost a day.

That’s when he got another message.

 **TS:** Leaving me on read? Really?

His first instinct was to snort fondly; his second was to panic.

He most definitely did not stutter as he dictated his reply.

 **SS:** I assumed you sent this to the wrong person.

 **TS:** How many people named Strange do you think I know?

Stephen could practically see him rolling his eyes. Tony enjoyed butchering names—for him, it was Dr. Strangelove, Steph, Stephanie, Weirdo-with-an-M.D.... _Stranger_ was his new favorite, apparently.

…Stephen quite found that he liked it.

 **SS:** It wasn’t capitalized. How am I supposed to know what  
ridiculous pet names you come up for your weekly conquests?

He was just teasing, of course, and he was sure Tony knew it as well. Tony Stark’s playboy reputation had come and gone, after all.

Tony had mellowed out a lot since Thanos. Stephen thought that he had found the right balance between saving the world from ending every other week and taking some time to himself. Whenever he spoke to Stephen, he seemed…at peace. Content.

It was a good look on him, Stephen thought.

Maybe Tony wasn’t going to settle down any time soon, but he and Pepper parted on more than amicable terms. Now, Tony focused on himself and his own happiness, and as his friend Stephen was proud of him.

Hm. If only Stephen could stop wishing to be more than friends.

 **TS:** Oh for the love of  
**TS:** You. Me. Dinner.  
**TS:** Get dressed, I’ll be there in ten.

Yeah, it was pretty difficult when Tony kept sending him mixed messages like _that_.

Tony came over to the Sanctum most days. It had surprised him at first, that Tony genuinely seemed to enjoy his company even when Stephen couldn’t entertain him, having to focus on his own duties. More often than not, that’s what they did: work on their own projects, moving around each other like comfortable partners.

Tony leaning into his space to grab something out of his reach. Stephen looking over his shoulder to see the latest schematics he was designing.

Stephen didn’t want to ruin the easy friendship they had.

Only friendship. Right.

 **SS:** You don’t even know where I am.

 **TS:** Please, you own a StarkPhone.  
**TS:** Of course I know where you are.

 **SS:** Where am I now?

 **TS:**  
**TS:** Did you just open a portal to Kamar-Taj to fuck with my gps?  
**TS:** Because that’s pretty funny, but you may have to wait a little  
longer if you’re in Kathmandu.

Tony made him laugh. Tony made his breath hitch and his heart beat faster and made him feel a different kind of magic entirely.

Sometimes…

Stephen thought that maybe they could be so much more.

 **SS:** I haven’t said yes to dinner, you know.

 **TS:** It’s Avengers business, actually.

…oh.

He had taken too long to respond, apparently, because Tony sent a follow up text.

 **TS:** Stephen?

Stephen bit his lip, telling himself to let it go.

 **SS:** I’m ready. See you.

 

_It’s Avengers business, actually._

_IT’S AVENGERS BUSINESS, ACTUALLY?_

Tony facepalmed. For a genius, he could be pretty fucking stupid.

He wanted to slam his head against his desk, because he had turned a dinner date with _Doctor-Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Vincent Strange, M.D. Ph.D, sexiest man on Earth and actual love of his life_ into a business meeting.

He scrolled through his contacts, because what else could he do but follow through with the lie?

“Rhodey, shit okay I need…oh, you’re in DC?”

“Carol, you free tonight? No, I am _not_ hitting on—you know what, never mind.”

“T’Challa, buddy! Wait, no, don’t hang—”

He went through the entire roster, and finally found someone who could make it.

Then, he _actually_ slammed his head against his desk.

 

On one end of the table, Stephen leafed through the menu, carefully avoiding making eye contact. On the other end, Tony was tapping away at his phone, looking bored and not paying him any attention. And in between them, Steve Rogers was smiling pleasantly at both of them.

“It’s nice to see you again, Doctor.”

Stephen looked up and into Captain _America’s Sweetheart’s_ darling baby blues and said, “Stephen is fine, Captain.”

Steve’s smile widened. “Then call me Steve, Stephen.”

He nodded politely. This was going to be unbearable, he could already tell.

A while passed where the only sound was of Tony murmuring to himself in that way Stephen had grown to find endearing, still tapping away at his phone.

“So,” Stephen began after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, “what is it that you wanted to discuss, Tony?”

Tony mumbled something unintelligible, barely acknowledging him, and instead waved over a waiter. “Food first. I’m starving.” Tony waggled his eyebrows at him, but studiously avoided meeting his gaze, Stephen noticed. Just as he ordered, Tony’s phone rang and he excused himself from the table.

Stephen frowned, opening his mouth—but of course, this was a Stark-approved restaurant with excellent service so he couldn’t get a word in edgewise before the waiter was looking at him expectantly.

He…hadn’t actually had a chance to look at the food, too busy being distracted by the weird atmosphere at the table. He quickly parsed through his memory for anything he might be okay with having, but in the end, the silence stretched on a bit too long.

“The mushroom risotto is very good,” Steve said, and Stephen looked relieved.

He turned to the waiter. “I’ll have that, then. Thank you.” The waiter took their menus and left, and Stephen gave Steve a grateful look. “Sorry. I was a bit distracted.”

“Not at all,” he reassured, before continuing. “Not really your scene?” he asked with a cheeky grin, and Stephen found that he didn’t actually mind the familiarity.

“Not anymore,” he admitted with a smile of his own. The others knew about him now. The team all knew about everyone’s pasts—that was how much they all trusted each other with themselves. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Michelin star restaurant, that’s for sure.”

“Ah, the life of an ascetic.” A smile played on his lips.

“It’s more like the life of a broke college student, actually.” Stephen snorted. “Cup noodles and giant slices of mediocre pizza.”

Steve laughed at that, and Stephen thought that maybe this dinner wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

 

Dinner was going to suck ass.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it to your date, man,” Rhodey snickered.

“Shut. Up,” Tony said through gritted teeth.

“So which poor soul agreed to go with you?”

He resisted the urge to groan. Steve wasn’t at the bottom of his list, per se, but he wasn’t exactly Tony’s first pick. “Rogers.”

“Ha!”

“I know right.” Tony ran a hand over his face and took a peek at their table.

Stephen’s face was lit up and he looked like he was chuckling—Tony could almost imagine the low, velvety sound in his throat and the twinkle in his eyes, the curve of his brow as he gave you one of those knowing looks—

Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

“You okay, man?” Rhodey sounded worried.

Suddenly, Stephen gaze drifted over in his direction. Their eyes met and Tony’s breath hitched—and in that moment, Tony just wanted to walk up to Stephen and kiss that smile off his face and see his eyes flutter shut as Stephen kissed him _back_ —

“Tones?”

“…yeah.” Tony swallowed. “I’m okay. Gotta go, Rhodey.”

He hung up the phone immediately, transfixed. He walked back to the table in a daze, and he didn’t know what look he had on his face but it must’ve sure been _something_ , because Stephen’s expression faltered and he looked like his mouth had gone dry. Tony swallowed, and he found a smile growing on his lips.

Then _he_ just had to go and ruin it.

“Was that work, Tony?” Steve asked, tilting his head curiously.

His eyes snapped to Steve’s and he wanted to throttle the man. _Why are you here on my date?! Why did I invite you?!?!_

Steve blinked at the intensity of the stare. ”Okay. No SI talk, then,” he said, raising his hands in surrender.

Stephen inclined his head at Tony. “Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

Tony softened and nodded, taking his seat again. “Yeah,” he cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.”

Steve leaned forward, eager to get to business. “So, you called us here because?”

Oh, yeah. Tony hadn’t actually thought about that part yet. Whoops.

He sipped at his water, looking the picture of relaxedness when his mind was actually racing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Stephen squint at him, looking absolutely done. Tony resisted the urge to snort, because he always did enjoy riling him up.

“We need to discuss the fight that happened last week.”

Stephen and Steve looked at him with blank expressions.

“The fight.”

Tony nodded sagely, before picking at his nails. “Yeah. You know it went terribly, right? I was disappointed in both your performances. We need to talk about what we can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Stephen shot him an incredulous look. “Tony, _you_ got knocked out after twenty minutes. What the hell are you talking about?”

Oh, right. Still, Tony was in far too deep, and now he was basically drilling into the ground like he couldn’t dig a hole fast enough. “Exactly! Steve was on my left, and you were right behind me. We need to work on our teamwork.”

Steve nodded slowly, giving him a strange look. Tony glared at him to shut up. But then he glanced at Stephen, and the look turned knowing.

And then Rogers had the gall to smirk at him.

Tony kicked him under the table.

Stephen sighed, but thankfully went along with it. “So what do you suggest? Team building exercises? Game night?” He snorted.

Tony paused.

“We are _not_ —”

 

They ended up doing game night.

Stephen stood awkwardly in the Avengers Compound common room, looking at the lights projected on the ground.

“You want…to play Twister with the team?”

Tony grinned at him.

Stephen stared. “Gods. You’re serious.”

Tony shrugged, and his grin turned shy. Stephen never could resist that look—Tony rarely doubted himself, so this must really mean a lot to him.

So he sighed and looked down at him with a fond, helpless smile. “Well, where is everyone, then?”

Tony beamed at him, and Stephen felt weak at the knees. He tapped away at his phone, which beeped not too long after. Tony glanced at the screen, and his expression immediately dropped.

Stephen blinked, own smile faltering. “What’s wrong?”

“Cap said they’re not coming,” Tony said as if he couldn’t believe it. “He said that he and the others don’t want to come. He said they don’t want to play party games with us.”

“ _What_?” Stephen was going to hurt somebody.

“Well, whatever. It was a long shot anyway,” Tony said, shrugging. He laughed, looking apologetic and slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, Strange. At least now you don’t have to play stupid games with me.”

Stephen didn’t know what made him do it. Maybe it was Tony’s expression shuttering, or the way he avoided his eyes like he had been for the past couple of weeks—either way, Stephen couldn’t stand the sight of Tony like that.

“Let’s play,” he blurted out.

“...what?” Tony looked confused.

“Play Twister with me.” What the hell was Stephen saying?

Now it was Tony’s turn to give him a blank look. “You want to play Twister.”

Stephen nodded firmly

“Just…the two of us?”

“Yes. You can play with two people,” he insisted.

“...”

He egged him on, “Scared of losing, old man?”

“That’s what you call trash talk?” Tony snorted, but a smile had broken out on his face. “You’re in your forties. Your hair is grayer than mine.”

“Bull _shit_ you don’t dye your hair.”

“I don’t,” Tony said smugly.

Stephen rolled his eyes. “So are we playing or what?”

“Bring it on.”

 

FRIDAY called out the shots, and the both of them followed.

Left hand, red. Right foot, blue. Right hand, yellow.

And so on.

Eventually, though, it had become a game.

Right foot, green, flirt with Stephen. Left food, red, make Tony laugh. Left hand, yellow, blue, green, red. Left hand… _slip_ —

 

And _that_ was how Stephen ended up sprawled in between Tony’s legs, Tony looking down at him through impossibly long lashes.

 

“…I lost,” Tony said.

Stephen was right there, and he was warm and real and so, so close.

 

“Keep playing,” Stephen breathed.

Tony’s eyes fluttered and the sight knocked the breath out of his chest.

 

Right hand, Tony’s chest.

Left hand, Stephen’s neck.

His lips to his lips.

 

“FRIDAY, how are Tony and Stephen?” Steve asked.

“They are currently cuddling in the common room, Captain Rogers,” FRIDAY said, sounding rather smug.

Good, Steve thought. The plan had worked out just fine, then.

 

…

 

“Strange, what the hell was that shot?” Tony said over the comms, annoyed. He had nearly gotten clipped by an energy blast. He swooped down to fly circles around Stephen just because he could.

“Keep up, Stark,” Stephen called out. Little shit refused to use comms, instead using mystical mumbo jumbo to project his voice. The cloak of levitation batted at Tony when he came too close. “You’re getting slow in your old age.”

“Is anyone else bothered by the fact that Doctor Strange and Iron Man are flirting while we’re currently getting laser beamed at by giant eyeballs?!” Scott said. “Cap, make it stop!”

“I don’t know, isn’t it kind of cute?” Peter said, the biggest fan of their ship as always.

Steve just sighed.

The team dynamic hadn’t changed that much, actually. But Tony and Stephen worked better than ever now that they were together—and wasn’t _that_ a surprise?

The tabloids had gone wild when they caught wind of them…okay, so it was less catching them out on date night and more Tony pulling Stephen in for a kiss when the latter had nearly gotten disintegrated a couple of weeks ago. They were now the literal power couple of the century.

Stephen and Tony remained tight lipped around the other Avengers about how they had gotten together; there was now a betting pool among all the heroes. The two would crack eventually, they were convinced.

What the others didn’t know was that they were just terribly embarrassed to have been found making out like a couple of horny teenagers by Captain America.

Suddenly, the sky flashed and it started to rain, signaling Thor’s arrival. “What did I miss?”

“Just Tony and Stephen being gross,” Clint grumbled.

Tony ignored him. “Steph!”

“What?”

“Your hair looks sexy when it’s wet.”

There was a chorus of groans and gags in the comms.

“Hey, maybe later I could peel you out of those robes and we could warm up in the jacuzzi—”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “Keep it in your pants, Tony.”

“Ugh, I’m muting the both of you,” Sam said. Everyone muttered their agreement.

 

“Tony.”

“…”

“ _Tony_.”

“Hm…?”

“Stop kissing me—what the hell is this?”

“What, you don’t like it?” Tony did not, in fact, stop kissing his neck.

“ _Why_ are our sheets _polka_ \- _dotted_?”

“I thought it’d be cute for our one month anniversary,” Tony snorted once, before cracking up.

Stephen shook his head fondly, collapsing onto the bed, exhausted from the day’s fight. Then he smirked and hooked a leg behind Tony, pulling him down in a mirror image of how they had gotten together.

“Ooh la la.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but he brushed the damp hair from Tony’s eyes anyway. “It’s been a month, huh?”

“Yep.” Tony grinned, mouthing at Stephen’s jaw.

He closed his eyes. “It was way longer than that for me, you know. Years,” he admitted.

Tony pulled back at that, looking confused. “We’ve only known each other for one, though.”

Stephen gave him a wry look. “Tony, I’ve felt this way about you for lifetimes.”

His throat went dry. “…oh.” There was red dusting his cheeks, and he looked entranced, unable to tear his gaze from Stephen’s eyes.

Stephen smiled at him.

Tony swallowed. “Well then, I better make up for lost time, huh?” he said, brushing his lips against Stephen’s tenderly.

 

It had become routine for them.

Right hand, cup Tony’s cheek. Left hand, brush over Stephen’s lips. Left foot, kick Tony in his sleep. Right foot, _massage it, Stephen!_

Right hand, text Stephen, _dinner. Just the two of us, this time._

_Love you._

Mouth, dictate, _of course. Don’t make me wait._

… _love you too._


End file.
